%0 Journal Article
%@ 1438-8871
%I Gunther Eysenbach
%V 10
%N 1
%P e8
%T Reliability of Internet- Versus Telephone-Administered Questionnaires in a Diverse Sample of Smokers
%A Graham,Amanda L
%A Papandonatos,George D
%+ Georgetown University Medical Center / Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, 3300 Whitehaven St, NW, Milton Harris Bldg, Suite 4100, Washington, DC 20007, USA, +1 202 687 7905, alg45@georgetown.edu
%K Reliability
%K smoking
%K Internet
%K diversity
%K measurement
%K psychometrics
%K minority groups
%K questionnaires
%K socioeconomic factors
%K social class
%K poverty
%K African Americans
%K Hispanic Americans
%D 2008
%7 26.3.2008
%9 Original Paper
%J J Med Internet Res
%G English
%X Background:  Smoking is more prevalent among lower-income individuals and certain racial/ethnic minorities. Addressing tobacco cessation among diverse populations is an urgent public health priority. As Internet use continues to rise among all segments of the US population, Web-based interventions have enormous potential to reach priority populations. Conducting Web-based smoking cessation research in priority populations requires psychometrically sound measurement instruments. To date, only one published study has examined the psychometric properties of Internet-administered measures commonly used in Web-based cessation trials. However, the sample was homogeneous with regard to race/ethnicity and income. We sought to replicate and extend these findings in a more diverse sample of smokers. Objective:  The aim was to examine the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of measures commonly used in smoking cessation clinical trials among racial/ethnic minorities and smokers with lower income. Methods:  Participants were enrolled in a randomized trial of the efficacy of an Internet smoking cessation program between June 2005 and September 2006. Following a baseline telephone assessment and randomization into the parent trial, participants were recruited to the reliability substudy. In phase I of recruitment, all participants in the parent trial were recruited to the substudy; in phase II, all consecutive racial/ethnic minority participants in the parent trial were recruited. Race and ethnicity were assessed via self-report using two standard items from the US Office of Management and Budget. An email was sent 2 days after the telephone assessment with a link to the Internet survey. Measures examined were quit methods, perceived stress, depression, social support, smoking temptations, alcohol use, perceived health status, and income. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of Internet- versus telephone-administered measures were examined within four strata defined by race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic White, racial/ethnic minority) and annual household income (US $40,000 or less, more than $40,000). Results:  Of the 442 individuals invited, 319 participated (72% response rate): 52.4% were non-Hispanic White, 22.9% Black, 11.6% Hispanic, 7.8% Asian, 4.4% American Indian / Alaska Native, and 1% Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander. About half (49.4%) reported an annual household income of US $40,000 or less, and 25.7% had a high school degree or less. Test-retest reliability was satisfactory to excellent across all strata for the majority of measures examined: 9 of 12 continuous variables had intraclass correlation coefficients ≥ 0.70, and 10 of 18 binary variables and both ordinal variables had kappa coefficients ≥ 0.70. Test-retest reliability of several quit methods varied across strata. Conclusions:  Race/ethnicity and income do not affect the psychometric properties of most Internet-administered measures examined. This knowledge adds to the confidence of conducting Web-based smoking cessation research and strengthens the scientific rigor of collecting information via the Internet on racial/ethnic minority and low-income subgroups. Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov NCT00282009 (parent trial)
%M 18364345
%R 10.2196/jmir.987
%U http://www.jmir.org/2008/1/e8/
%U https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.987
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18364345